Oklahoma State University–Stillwater facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Oklahoma State University

Former names	Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (1890–1958)
Motto	"Scholarship, Instruction, Service"
Type	Public land-grant research university
Established	December 25, 1890; 134 years ago (1890-12-25)
Parent institution	Oklahoma State System of Higher Education Oklahoma State University System
Accreditation	HLC
Academic affiliation	ORAU Space-grant Sun-grant
Endowment	$1.71 billion (2023) (system-wide)
Budget	$1.69 billion (FY2024) (system-wide)
President	Kayse Shrum
Academic staff	1,337 (2019)
Students	26,008 (Fall 2023)
Undergraduates	21,339 (Fall 2023)
Postgraduates	4,669 (Fall 2023)
Location	Stillwater , Oklahoma , United States 36°07′21″N 97°04′11″W / 36.1224°N 97.0698°W / 36.1224; -97.0698
Campus	Distant town, 1,489 acres (6.03 km2)
Other campuses	Tahlequah Tulsa
Newspaper	The O'Colly
Colors	Orange and Black
Nickname	Cowboys & Cowgirls
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FBS – Big 12
Mascot	Pistol Pete

Oklahoma State University (often called OSU or OK State) is a large public university in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It was started in 1890 under a special law called the Morrill Act. Back then, it was known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (Oklahoma A&M).

OSU is the main university in the Oklahoma State University System. This system has five different schools and teaches over 34,000 students. At the Stillwater campus, more than 26,000 students were enrolled in Fall 2023. OSU is known for its high level of research, spending nearly $200 million on research and development in 2021.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls sports teams are very successful. They have won 55 national championships, including 53 NCAA championships. This puts them among the top universities for sports wins! OSU students and alumni have also won 34 Olympic medals.

Every fall, students get ready for OSU's Homecoming celebration. It started in 1913 and brings over 70,000 people to campus each year. The university calls it "America's Greatest Homecoming Celebration." More than 250,000 people have graduated from Oklahoma State University.

University History: How OSU Began

Old Central at Oklahoma A&M in 1894

Williams Hall, known as the Castle of the Prairies, in 1920

Oklahoma State University officially began on December 25, 1890. It was first called Oklahoma Territorial Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) College. This new college was created under the Morrill Act of 1862, which helped set up land-grant universities across the U.S.

The law said the college had to be in Payne County, Oklahoma. Many towns wanted the campus, but Stillwater was chosen. When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, the word "Territorial" was removed from the college's name.

The first classes at Oklahoma A&M started on December 14, 1891. For the first few years, students met in local churches. The first official school building, now called Old Central, was finished on June 15, 1894. It was built on a flat, open prairie.

In 1896, Oklahoma A&M had its first graduation, with six male students receiving their degrees. The first library was just one room inside Old Central. Williams Hall, built in 1900, was the first campus building to have electricity. People called it the "Castle of the Prairies" because of its unique towers.

One of the earliest buildings was a barn used for farming experiments. Near it was a large pond, created in 1895. The barn burned down in 1922, but the pond, now called Theta Pond, is still a beautiful spot on campus. In 1906, Morrill Hall was completed and became a main building. It was damaged by fire in 1914 but was rebuilt.

The Boy's Dormitory, later Crutchfield Hall

Students started living on campus in 1910 when the Boys' Dormitory opened. It was later named Crutchfield Hall. It was important because it was the first permanent dorm for boys in Oklahoma.

Also in 1910, the Women's Building opened. This dorm for female students also had a dining hall, home economics classes, and a gym. It's now called the Bartlett Center for the Studio Arts.

By 1919, the campus had grown to include several important buildings like Morrill Hall, the Engineering Building, and the Armory-Gymnasium.

During World War II, Oklahoma A&M was one of only six schools chosen by the United States Navy to train students in electronics. From 1942 to 1945, about 7,000 Navy students studied electrical engineering here.

The Student Union Building at OSU

Much of OSU's growth and its beautiful architecture came from Henry G. Bennett, who was president from 1928 to 1950. He had a plan for how the campus should look, focusing on the Georgian architecture style. His plan was followed for over 50 years. He wanted a central library, which became the Edmon Low Library, opened in 1953.

Another big addition during Bennett's time was the Student Union, which opened in 1950. It has been expanded over the years and is now one of the largest student union buildings in the world!

In the 1950s, OSU started working with other countries. President Bennett helped lead a program to provide technical help to developing nations. As part of this, OSU worked with the government of Ethiopia to help set up schools and agricultural services there. Because of this, the Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, visited the Stillwater campus in 1954.

Statue of Henry G. Bennett near Library Lawn at OSU

On May 15, 1957, Oklahoma A&M changed its name to Oklahoma State University of Agricultural and Applied Sciences. This new name showed that the university was teaching more than just farming. Soon after, the name was shortened to Oklahoma State University. The full name was officially dropped in 1980.

After this, the Oklahoma State University System was created. The Stillwater campus became the main one, with other campuses opening in places like Okmulgee (1946) and Tulsa (1984).

In 2005, OSU announced a "Campus Master Plan" to improve its buildings. Over $800 million was set aside for new construction and renovations. This plan included creating an "athletic village" where all sports facilities would be together on campus.

Edmon Low Library

In 2006, a former student named T. Boone Pickens gave a huge gift of $165 million to the university's athletic department. In 2008, he gave another $100 million for academic programs. He later pledged even more money, bringing his total contributions to over $500 million.

What You Can Study at OSU

OSU has many different colleges where students can learn about various subjects.

The medical campus works with the Oklahoma State University Medical Center to give students real-world training. OSU also has a medical school campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. This campus is special because it's the first medical school in the U.S. to be linked with a Native American nation, the Cherokee Nation.

In 2020, the College of Education and Human Sciences was formed by combining two older colleges. In 2021, the university started the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education (OAIRE) to focus on aviation and space studies.

Getting into OSU

For students who started in Fall 2019, OSU received over 15,000 applications and accepted about 10,000 students. Around 4,200 students chose to enroll. The middle scores for students who got in were between 1040 and 1255 on the SAT and between 21 and 28 on the ACT.

OSU's Achievements and Reputation

• OSU is one of only six U.S. universities chosen by Congress to research and develop clean, plant-based energy.
• The Math Department is recognized as one of the most innovative in the country.
• OSU is home to the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, which has members from all over the world.
• The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is ranked among the top in the United States and the world.

Student Life at OSU

Where Students Live

OSU offers many places for students to live, including 31 residence halls and over 15 dining spots. There are also apartment complexes for families. In recent years, many traditional dorms have been replaced with apartment-style buildings.

Some of the traditional dorms still open are Iba, Parker, Wentz, and Stout Halls. In 2015, three new residence halls called the University Commons opened. These include North (for female students), South (for male students), and West (for both genders).

There are also apartment-style buildings for single students and special deluxe suites. Graduate students and families can choose from seven different apartment "neighborhoods" with various layouts.

OSU Sports Teams

Houston Cougars vs Oklahoma State Cowboys football game at Boone Pickens Stadium in 2008

OSU competes in NCAA Division I-A. They are part of the Big 12 conference. Their biggest rival is the University of Oklahoma Sooners.

OSU has won 53 NCAA Championships, which is the 6th most among all NCAA schools!

Football Fun

The Oklahoma State Cowboys football team has won 11 conference titles. They have played in 34 bowl games. In 1945, they were National Champions. A famous player, Barry Sanders, won the Heisman Trophy in 1988 and set a record for rushing yards in a single season.

Basketball Excitement

Men's basketball has a rich history at OSU. The team reached the Final Four in 1995 and 2004. They were also the first college basketball team ever to win back-to-back National Championships in 1945 and 1946.

Wrestling Dominance

The Cowboy wrestling team is incredibly successful. They won their 33rd NCAA championship in 2005 and their 34th in 2006. OSU's 34 team titles are the most ever won by a school in any single sport! They have also had 143 individual national champions, including Pat Smith, the first-ever four-time champion.

Other Sports Achievements

Since the 1924 Olympics, 68 OSU athletes have competed in the Olympics. They have won a total of 31 medals: 20 gold, four silver, and seven bronze.

OSU Songs

At OSU events like graduation and sports games, you'll hear several special songs. These include The Waving Song, Ride 'Em Cowboys (which is the official fight song), and the OSU Chant. After every sports game, win or lose, OSU student-athletes sing the alma mater with other students, teachers, and alumni.

Famous People from OSU

OSU Alumni

Today, there are over 200,000 living OSU graduates around the world. Some famous alumni include:

• Oil businessman and giver T. Boone Pickens
• Actor James Marsden
• "The father of the personal computer" Ed Roberts
• Country singers Garth Brooks and Hoyt Axton
• Former Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stitt
• Former Prime Minister of South Korea Nam Duck-woo
• Former Prime Minister of Jordan Adnan Badran
• Legal scholar Anita Hill

You can find interviews with many OSU alumni through the O-State Stories Project.

Buildings on Campus

Below are just a few of the buildings at OSU. For a complete list, visit List of Oklahoma State University buildings.

Academic Buildings

Edmon Low Library

Kerr and Drummond halls

Other Important Buildings

Historic Gallagher-Iba Arena and the OSU Spirit Rider statue

• O'Brate Stadium – This is where the baseball team plays.
• Bennett Memorial Chapel
• Boone Pickens Stadium – The football stadium, named after T. Boone Pickens.
• Cowgirl Stadium
• Historic Gallagher-Iba Arena – This arena is named after famous coaches Edward C. Gallagher and Henry Iba. It's known as one of the best college sports venues in the U.S. It has practice areas, weight rooms, and the original white maple wood basketball court, named Eddie Sutton Court after a former coach.
• National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
• Student Union – This is known as one of the largest student unions in the world.
• Whitehurst Hall – This building houses the university's main administration offices.

More to Explore

• Gift of a Lifetime
• List of forestry universities and colleges

• Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station